Terence “Bud” Crawford takes his newfound independence seriously and is lobbing heavy allegations against his former promoter, Bob Arum.
On Wednesday, Jan, 12, the current WBO welterweight world champion filed a lawsuit against his former promoter in Nevada. The suit alleges racial bias by Top Rank founder and chairman Bob Arum.
Statement from Bob Arum in response to Terence Crawford's lawsuit against Top Rank… pic.twitter.com/2PKnFng2DN
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) January 13, 2022
Coming For Bob
According to reports, in the suit, Crawford claims that the 90-year-old Hall of Fame promoter “continues to make racist and bigoted statements and purposefully damage the reputations of Black boxers.”
In addition, Crawford claims that “Arum’s sordid history with athletes of color, especially Black fighters, and his bias favoring white and Latino fighters is well-documented and known throughout the boxing world,” and that “Arum makes no secret of his deep-seated bias against Black fighters.”
Ouch. However, Crawford echoes statements made by other prominent Black and Latino former champions like Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Mikey Garcia.
PBC's Tim Smith on what's stopping Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford: "Economics. You don't wanna insult Crawford, but he hasn't been built into a PPV star… Nobody wants to make him an offer that's insulting… The numbers won't be enough to give him what he wants." [PBC Podcast]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) January 9, 2022
Bob’s Clap Back
“Bud Crawford’s lawsuit against Top Rank is frivolous,” Arum said in a statement later Wednesday. “His vile accusations of racism are reckless and indefensible. He knows it, and his lawyer knows it. I have spent my entire working life as a champion of Black boxers, Latino boxers, and other boxers of color. I have no doubt the Court will see Crawford’s case for the malicious extortion attempt that it is.”
Now Crawford is seeking damages over $5.4 million from Arum and Top Rank. He claims he lost the funds due to Top Rank’s failure to deliver the second fight in year two of his signed extension in 2018.
He is also holding Aruma and Top Rank accountable for their inability to make a fight against Errol Spence Jr. materialize.
Bob Arum's response to Terence Crawford's lawsuit.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/qvCwUnl1eK
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 12, 2022
The Receipts
Crawford might have a valid point with the lack of a Top Rank-produced Errol Spence fight offer. He claims that when he signed to fight Egidijus Kavaliauskas in 2019, the agreement included a $900,000 payment if Top Rank didn’t in good faith offer Crawford the fight against Spence by the end of 2020.
Crawford has hired attorney Bryan Freedman for the suit. Freedman also represented Mikey Garcia in his 2014 suit against Top Rank. The parties, in that case, agreed to terminate Garcia’s promotional agreement; however, Garcia was subsequently sidelined for almost three years in the process.
“It is unfortunate that Top Rank did not treat Terence properly and in fact spoke out regularly against him,” Crawford’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told ESPN.
Breaking news: @terencecrawford has filed a lawsuit against his former promoter @trboxing @BobArum, citing "revolting racial bias" and other bombshell allegations – Story by @MorillaBoxing https://t.co/aY8nEPChTt
— Bible of Boxing (@ringmagazine) January 12, 2022
More Receipts
Freedman will seek to prove Crawford’s claim of a contract breach along with fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation.
“Unlike other boxers bound to Top Rank contracts, Terence can assert his claims in court without Top Rank forcing him to sit out,” Freedman said. “Make no mistake, that is a game-changer.”
However, more egregiously, Crawford alleges that Arum made disparaging comments about him in an attempt to harm his reputation and impact his future promotional potential.
In 2020, a frustrated Bob Arum made the public comment that he “could build a house in Beverly Hills on the money I’ve lost on (Crawford) in the last three fights.”
The basis of the Terence Crawford- Bob Arum lawsuit pic.twitter.com/oQPydvmfR9
— Dan Canobbio (@DanCanobbio) January 12, 2022
Eat Your Words?
Additionally, the lawsuit highlights Arum’s 2019 comments about the prominent Black founder of Premier Boxing Champions founder Al Haymon, who advises Spence.
“He’s gonna say, ‘Spence, listen to me. Don’t listen to the white guys, because if you listen to the white guys they’re gonna steer you down the road. Listen to me, brother. We’re part of a brotherhood. And if I tell you not to fight Crawford, I’m telling you not to fight Crawford.’ That’s exactly what he will say.”
Terence Crawford when asked why he’s suing Top Rank after becoming a free agent pic.twitter.com/yh6GbUXs0C
— MVO Uncensored & Brunch Boxing Cohost (Matt) (@izdatyofaceee) January 12, 2022
Arum has constantly pointed to what he sees as Crawford’s inability to promote and market himself as the disconnect for the public to want to purchase his pay-per-view fights on a massive scale.
Now Crawford uses Arum’s own words to get what he feels he is owed.
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